A reminder to wear eye protection!

[JohnAPA]

I've had 2 buddies experience primer tube blow-ups recently while loading on their 650s. Be careful to finesse that primer into place and not just jam the the handle up. Also, always wear eye protection. I know this seems obvious, but both guys descrided situations that could have wound up a lot worse.

[zhunter]

I had a bang on my 1050, while NOT wearing eye protection.

I NOW wear eye protection.

Edited to add: I leave my eye protection in my bullet tray, hard to forget to put them on when they are in the way of picking up bullets

Edited October 15, 2009 by zhunter

[Dan Hefta]

I tend to forget about eye protection when reloading, thanks for the friendly reminder, I will double my efforts and start wearing my safety glasses from now on.

[BritinUSA]

to add: I leave my eye protection in my bullet tray, hard to forget to put them on when they are in the way of picking up bullets

Same place I keep mine.

[atbarr]

I leave my eye protection in my bullet tray, hard to forget to put them on when they are in the way of picking up bullets

Yep, that's the way to do it.

A.T.

[P.E. Kelley]

All,

If I may add some emphasis to wearing eye protection when reloading.

Without offering too many details I too experienced a primer tube detonation sans eyewear.

I was truly in need and received emergency medical care to repair damaged fingers and to have

primer cup shrapnel removed from both my eyes! I still suffer from "starlights" from left-over

primer material that was too invasive to remove. Please let this be a first person reminder to all

that eye protection is or should be mandatory.

Patrick

[DUKE]

Good reminder to wear my eye protection when reloading. Thanks

[03k64]

I always wear my eye protection as well as hearing protection. Good reminder.

[opcx6]

All,

If I may add some emphasis to wearing eye protection when reloading.

Without offering too many details I too experienced a primer tube detonation sans eyewear.

I was truly in need and received emergency medical care to repair damaged fingers and to have

primer cup shrapnel removed from both my eyes! I still suffer from "starlights" from left-over

primer material that was too invasive to remove. Please let this be a first person reminder to all

that eye protection is or should be mandatory.

Patrick

I had a full tube of LP primers detonate in my 1050 in 1992 without eye protection, my face very close to the machine.

I was VERY lucky to have only a slight nick to the corner of my right eye, I did, however, go into shock from the explosion and briefly lost consciousness.

Lesson learned; always wear eye protection when reloading.

[SiG Lady]

Acck! Makes me almost want to stop reloading....

_{(But that would be too expensive....)}

[Suwannee Tim]

I wear eye protection if there is any question whether it might be needed. Reloading is obvious, bicycling though? I wear them, ride through a cloud of gnats at 18 MPH and see if you are glad you had them on. I am not afraid of a primer explosion. One thing that spooks me is a fire with powder involved. I keep the amount of powder in my house to a minimum.

Edited October 19, 2009 by Suwannee Tim

[calishootr]

I know of 2 friends that went thru primer ka-booms, one, left a biiiiig black mark on the ceiling of his garage and we still dont know where exactly the primer follower ended up????

also a local commercial reloader lost an eye, when asked about him wearing an eyepatch, was told it was a reloading accident....if you are around your press....PUT ON THE GLASSES....nuff said....

[boz1911]

Guilty of not wearing eye protection..........I hear of 650 kabooms all the time but really didn't think it could happen on my 1050. Looks like I need to change my ways.

[RufDog]

in addition to safety spectacles I recently started wearing a cup

[Rob Boudrie]

it could happen on my 1050

Trust me, it can

[Toolguy]

I had about 90 primers go off on me in the late 70's when loading on a C&H press. I was wearing safety glasses. My face got peppered

with primer bits including the glasses. The primer tube was stuck about 1/4 inch into a 2x10 floor joist directly above the press and the

bottom end was peeled open like a banana. I would probably be blind or nearly so without safety glasses. I have always worn them in

the shop too. Over the years they have saved my eyes many times. Please wear safety glasses to load and shoot.

[BlackBuzzard]

I have had a single Federal SP primer go off in my 650 when crushed into a Federal NT 40SW case......once in about 40,000 rounds loaded.

But to have the entire vertical primer tube detonate ?? Has not happened yet.

Can anyone shed some light on to the frequency of this occurrence? As in say once every 100,000 rounds......500,000 rounds.....once in a lifetime??

I can see lawyers right now telling Dillon management to add a full plate of plexi shield on all reloading machines (users may or may not keep this feature).......is this the future?

BB

Edited October 20, 2009 by BlackBuzzard

[Todd629]

WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION

I had about 100 primers go off on my 650, wearing eye protection, thankfully. However I wasn't wearing hearing protection and have almost total hearing loss in one ear and tinnitus.

[Brian1911]

just got a new 650 and have heard of this so please educate me on how to avoid it. How is this happening?

[ERIC]

This makes me glad I wear prescription glasses so my safety glasses are always on and I can't forget them.

I've gone through around 30k on my 650 and never had a primer go off and I had my share of crushed primers I forced in. I've only used Win primers. The front support bar on the 650 gives some protection for your face, more if you stand/sit a little to the left side. It might we worth bolting on a piece of clear plastic on that supprt arm for added protection.

[Brian1911]

I have crushed many primers on my 550 since they get half seated and I cant remove the case from that station. My only option was to keep forcing them in so I could clear the case but I never had one go off.

Why on the 650 are there these reports of entire primer tubes going off? Please tell me how to avoid the problem?

[dillon]

On the XL650 most primer detonations are due to either not adjusting the primer station locator tab, trying to prime cases not ready to be primed (crimped primer pockets, 45ACP-NT or 45GAP brass mixed with 45ACP), and the like. On the 650 the primers are spaced closely together in the disc; igniting a primer while seating can flash around the disc, igniting the primer column in the magazine. The design of the magazine and shield vents off the expanding gasses, the aluminum magazine tube splits and vents into the shield. Usually only the plastic follower rod launches itself upward, as the top of the magazine tube tends to pinch itself off, capturing the primers.

[Merlin Orr]

All,

If I may add some emphasis to wearing eye protection when reloading.

Without offering too many details I too experienced a primer tube detonation sans eyewear.

I was truly in need and received emergency medical care to repair damaged fingers and to have

primer cup shrapnel removed from both my eyes! I still suffer from "starlights" from left-over

primer material that was too invasive to remove. Please let this be a first person reminder to all

that eye protection is or should be mandatory.

Patrick

Patrick...What type of machine were you loading on?

[laportecharlie]

I had a primer go off while loading on a Ponsness-Warren Shotshell press. Something I will never forget. You just gotta wear eye protection.